Abby Hill is in the midst of one heck of an organizational undertaking.During what little free time she has from her full-time job as a horse trainer and farrier, the daughter of the late Mill Valley photographer Suki Hill is holed up in her mom’s Edgewood Ave. home pouring through “hundreds of thousands” of Suki’s photos, cataloging and digitizing as she goes. The archive spans from Suki Hill’s European travels in her early 20s, through her front row seat for the peak of the explosion of the San Francisco music scene in the late 1960s and all the way to the weeks and months prior to her passing, when she did a series of heartfelt photo essays on the workers who are the backbone of Mill Valley.Abby Hill’s goal, quite simply, is to preserve the photographic legacy of her mom, widely known as the photographer laureate of Mill Valley, who died on June 14 at the age of 72. The first step toward doing just that comes on January 3, when “Suki Hill: Vintage Black and White Photography of the 1960s” debuts at the Mill Valley Community Center under the auspices of the Mill Valley Arts Commission. A reception will be held from 6–8pm on January 6 as part of the First Tuesday Artwalk. “I am hoping everyone in the community comes out to celebrate Suki’s beautiful life and work!” says Recreation Director Jenny Rogers. “We are very excited to have landed the exhibition at the Community Center. Swing by the Center in January to see this gorgeous show.”Abby Hill curated the exhibit along with Arts Commissioner Robert Kilby and Dave Christensen, the director of the Harvey Milk Photo Center in San Francisco. Abby Hill says that while her mom’s photos of Mill Valleyans are well known locally and her classic rock photos are hugely popular, she specifically chose work that has never been seen by the public.“These shots are from her personal travels when she was in her 20s, before she was married and before I and my brother Zack were born,” Hill says. “These are very personal photos. I remember coming across these images when I was very yong, and even as a kid I appreciated that what I was looking at was pretty special. This is the work that influenced me to get into photography myself.”The exhibit will feature approximately 35 photos, drawn from Hills travels around Europe and elsewhere. “She had a magnetic way of drawing people in and making them feel open and comfortable in her presence, and for that she captured a soulfulness in her subjects,” according to the Arts Commission. Hill often captured her subjects’ character in a way that prompted them to smile and say, “you got me.”Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hill moved to Mill Valley in 1965 after earning a Masters Degree in Philosophy from the University of California.A 2007 recipient of a Milley Award, Hill made a name for herself in the 1960s and 1970s as one of the pre-eminent photographers of the thriving Bay Area music scene, snapping classic shots of the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan.Abby Hill certainly has her work cut out for her in cataloging and digitizing her prolific mom’s photo collection. Of the hundreds of thousands of photos taken by Hill over the years, only a few thousand have been digitized to date, Abby Hill says.Over time, Hill hopes to produce other exhibits of her mom’s work, as well as a book. Suki Hill published in 2007 "Mill Valley: Then & Now," which contrasted early images throughout Mill Valley with her own modern photos of the same places.In 2011, she created the "Mill Valley at Work" exhibit that featured workers at places like the Mill Valley Market, whose employees Hill said were "like family to me."The 411: “Suki Hill: Vintage Black and White Photography of the 1960s” opens January 3 at the Mill Valley Community Center. A reception will be held from 6–8pm on January 6 as part of the First Tuesday Artwalk.

Seven months into her role as head of Google’s efforts to bring its Glass technology to the consumer market, Bronx native talks about the challenge in front of her, what drew her to the 94941 – and why she’s found her home here.

From CEOs and tech moguls to celebrity chefs and legendary musicians, Mill Valley is home to plethora of people whose work transcends the town in which they rest their head at night.Few of them have a more interesting job than Ivy Ross.Google, the tech colossus whose quest for leading-edge innovation runs the gamut from self-driving cars and adaptive devices like the Lifeware spoon to its efforts to extend the human lifespan, tapped Ross in June to run Google Glass, the game-changing, controversy-fueling, hands-free phone and Web device in the form of eyewear.

The home of Ivy Ross and Arthur Drooker in Mill Valley – see oak tree, background, encircled by deck. Photo courtesy Arthur Drooker.

In doing so, Google found a person with a unique mix of earthy, artistic energy – someone who loved the oak tree that so dominated the property she bought on Helens Lane in Mill Valley in 2006 that she built the house around it – and a wealth of marketing, design and retail experience that includes the likes of Gap, Disney, Art.com and running an innovation lab at Mattel. She even designed eyewear at Bausch and Lomb for a stretch.

The executive Google sought had to hone the beta Glass product, which was made available through its beta Explorer program for $1,500 earlier this year, into something appealing to a mass consumer audience. That person also needed to be able to navigate a bevy of privacy concerns from those who don’t like the idea of having photos or video taken of them via a pair of glasses.

After listening to Google Glass executives and company co-founder Sergey Brin list all of the attributes that would be required of the person who had both the temperament and experience to handle the job, Astro Teller, the head of Google X, the company’s “moonshot factory for building magical, audacious ideas through science and technology,” went out and bought a stuffed unicorn, according to the USA Today. He later gave the unicorn to the 58-year-old Ross.

“This is like using all of my skills in one job,” Ross says. “At my core, I’m a builder of things, of ideas, of companies and of how groups of people can work together. That’s the thread that holds my career together.”

The idea of working at Google sold Ross, who says she’s historically been the disruptive type at more traditional companies, urging them to think differently and innovate.

“Now there are so many disruptive companies, I wanted to be among like-minded people in a company I admire – this is a great fit,” Ross says.

The leap from companies like Mattel, Coach and Gap to Google was significant, both culturally and geographically. The commute from Mill Valley to Mountain View can take as long as two hours each way. But relocating for the new gig wasn’t an option, says Ross, who moved from New York City to Mill Valley in 2006. Having lived in different parts of the country, including Southern California, Ross says Mill Valley spoke to her in ways no other place ever had.

“I realized very quickly that I am a Northern California person – I can feel that in my soul,” she says. “This is home – I’m not going to move again.”“Mill Valley has this creative energy – it still feels like a European town in this very peaceful, calming, beautiful place,” she adds. “I feel like I have the best of all worlds here. I’ve never been anywhere before where I can be climbing a mountain, at a great restaurant in the city or on the beach, all in just a few minutes.”Ross admits she’s facing a big challenge in bringing Google Glass to a mass consumer market, particular given the mindset shift required with wearable technology, and the privacy concerns that come with people being able to take photos and video from their eyewear.“But that’s part of the appeal,” she says of the challenge. “It’s an audacious task. One has to work hard to make something this revolutionary happen. This is breaking barriers.”And while Ross acknowledges the controversy that has arisen when Google Glass early adopters interact with people uncomfortable with the eyewear – an incident in a bar in San Francisco earlier this year drew national attention – she’s determined to not let those concerns drive the process.“We are all heads down, trying to make the best product we can by solving the right problems,” she says, noting that the arrival of Kodak cameras in the 1800s was met with people hiding behind doors, hoping to avoid being photographed. “When you are doing something that is revolutionary, you can’t get sucked into what you hear other than absolutely listening to the consumer. As the famous saying from Henry Ford goes, ‘If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.’”

When Ross needs a respite from bringing Google Glass to the world, she comes home to Mill Valley and her husband of four years Arthur Drooker, whom she’s known since high school and reconnected with while she was living in NYC.The couple loves to take hikes on Mt. Tam, particularly to places like O’Rourke’s Bench, have dinner with friends in their neighborhood and walk into downtown and back for visits to favorite restaurants like Molina.Drooker, an acclaimed photographer whose “Lost Worlds” exhibit was shown at Alain Pinel’s office downtown, has a trio of books out and another on the way.“We’re just a couple of kids from the Bronx, now living in Mill Valley,” Ross says with a laugh.

Event offers "a moment of calm in the midst of holiday busyness," with primarily silent participation and a period of caroling at 6pm.

The Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church is hosting a "Peace Pop-Up" on Thursday evening (5–8pm) in the Depot Plaza. Here's the info from Patricia Wiig, the church's director of children and family ministries:

The free event offers a moment of calm in the midst of holiday busyness. One can rest and relax, take a moment to pray or meditate or just have a moment of quiet to reflect on the meaning of peace. The Pop-Up also offers a way to participate in peace with ourselves and the world, according to The event features:

Christmas Carol singing 6-6:30pm

Wish for peace - write your wish for 2015 and hang it on the garland

Reflect on one thing you can do to help bring that peace

Light a candle in honor of a loved one or to set an intention for peace this holiday season and in the new year

Peace is needed in our communities and in the world. Even for those of us who experience relatively peaceful lives, we often go through this season in a whirlwind of shopping and holiday preparations, not always mindful of the meaning behind the holidays we celebrate.

Christmas is the perfect time to invite our communities, regardless of our faith traditions (or none) to think about peace. After all, our scripture reads, “Glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace, good will to all!” (Luke 2:14) And here at Mt. Tam Church, we believe that all means all!This event is free and open to the public. Please carpool or walk to the event as there is limited downtown parking.

CONTACT AND FURTHER INFO: Patricia Wiig Director of Children and Family Ministries Mt. Tam UMC 415-388-4456 mtumc@pacbell.net www.mtumc.org

On the heels of the departure of O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Executive Director Megan Wilkinson, the Center has tapped Kellan Christopher and Erma Murphy as co-directors of the 45-year-old nonprofit arts organization and venue on Throckmorton Avenue.The new Center Director is Mill Valley resident Kellan Christopher, a former Broadway actor and singer who has been been a project manager at a private trust that advised groups on organizational structure and development. Kellan oversees O'Hanlon's facility, gallery, and center operations, while longtime Mill Valley publicist and event promoter Erma Murphy, now a resident of Stinson Beach, is the new Director of Programs and Outreach. She will be in charge of programming, special events, and community outreach.“We are very lucky to have found two such gifted and dynamic individuals as Kellan and Erma to lead O’Hanlon Center at this critical time in our history,” says O’Hanlon board president Abby Wasserman. “Building on the accomplishments of our outgoing director, Megan Wilkinson, Kellan and Erma will encourage new creative growth and innovation while continuing to honor the philosophy and tradition of our founders, Ann and Dick O’Hanlon.”

Wasserman says Wilkinson is moving to Paris in January to study French and "have some new adventures" traveling around Europe."Megan is also talented artistically--in photography, collage and assemblage," Wasserman says. "I think she will be stimulated by the art she sees and may want to devote more time to her own art. One thing is sure: she will do well in whatever she decides in the future. She did a great job at O'Hanlon and we will miss her."O’Hanlon Center for the Arts is a unique community-focused nonprofit art center located at 616 Throckmorton Ave. on two bucolic acres at the base Mt. Tamalpais in Cascade Canyon, Mill Valley. The Center is truly an artists’ sanctuary. Founded in 1969 as “Sight & Insight Center” by Anne and Dick O’Hanlon as an artists community, their legacy continues today now as a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to provide programs, studio space, exhibitions and experiences that honor individual creativity, develop artistic practice, and build community. The Center gallery hosts new shows monthly open to the public. Classes are offered for both children and adults in the Loft in visual, literary, performing and meditative arts. For more information visit the O’Hanlon Center website.

Mayor Ken Wachtel and City Councilmember Jessica Jackson on the Depot Plaza.

From the City of Mill Valley:

Since 2008, the Mill Valley City Council has participated in a community outreach program called “Councilmember on the Plaza.” On the first and third Saturday of the month, a rotating Councilmember is available in the Downtown Plaza for a few hours for discussion, suggestions, comments, complaints and general community input.

People stop by to discuss current issues, their suggestions or to just have a conversation about our city. The conversations are not limited by time as is the public comment opportunity at city council meetings. Some just stop by and to say they have nothing to talk about but they are just glad the council is there to listen.

This successful program is now in its sixth year.

Residents report enjoying the ability to sit down with a Councilmember to share their thoughts and concerns. The personal interaction serves as an affirmation of the small town character intrinsic to Mill Valley.

You can find a Councilmember on the Plaza from 10 am to noon on the first and third Saturday of every month (weather permitting). We encourage everyone to stop by to have a chat and tell a councilmember what’s on your mind.

At a Dec. 2 awards ceremony at the Community Center, the Mill Valley Arts Commission honored the winners of the 16th Annual Click Off Photography Competition. The winning photos are on display in the lobby of the Community Center during the month of December.

The Click Off is a digital photo contest sponsored by the Mill Valley Arts Commission and local photo hub The Image Flow. Each participant drew one of five subject categories from a hat. The categories highlighted Marin's unique characteristics and subsequently revealed each photographer’s perspective. Between November 5-19, contestants took an image that they believed best represented their subject category and received coaching from The Image Flow photographers. Cameras of all kinds were used, including cell phones.

Among the winners, George Traugh's photo on the Depot Plaza won Unusual Beauty Second Place and the overall Best of Show, while Isabelle Lagier's photo of the Dipsea Steps won for both Historic Mill Valley First Place and Best of Youth.

From a joyous snow hill and the one and only Santa Claus to great food, an array of fun games and a bounty of great musical performances, Mill Valley's annual celebration of the holiday season dazzled downtown on December 7, 2014. Thanks to all of you who came out, our fantastic sponsors, our amazing group of volunteers and the City of Mill Valley for helping the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce put on this hallmark local event. Photos by Kirke Wrench.

We all know that this deluge of rain over the past week was much needed. But after rain forced the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce to postpone the 2014 Enjoy Mill Valley Winterfest for one week – followed by Wednesday's rough, Waterworld-esque morning commute (seriously, this guy seemed to have it all figured out), we're ready for a change of pace.Let's play in the snow!We're having a sledding hill's worth of snow trucked down from the Lake Tahoe area for Winterfest, set for Sunday, Dec. 7, 11am–6pm in the Depot Plaza downtown. We're also getting a visit from Santa himself from 1–3pm, so make those lists and check them twice.We'll have an array of children's activities, including a snow ball toss, a dreidel game and holiday arts & crafts, as well as a day-long lineup of live entertainment. And don't get us started on the food and drinks from some of the best restaurants in town.In the spirit of giving back, we're hosting drives for both the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and Toys for Tots, so bring your non-perishable and/or canned foods, as well as unwrapped toys, to help those in need celebrate the holiday season.Click here for more info about Winterfest.